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Ryan criticizes old statements made by Trump
YOUNGSTOWN
U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Hillary Clinton presidential surrogate, criticized comments made a decade ago by Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, that he was “excited” about the housing and real-estate market crash that occurred in 2008.
On a Tuesday conference call of officials from Ohio and Florida, key swing states, and organized by Clinton’s campaign, Ryan said, “Ohioans may look like nameless, faceless numbers from high above in Trump Tower, but these are real human beings in our communities just trying to get ahead. They need a president who will root for them, not against them.”
It’s been recently reported that Trump made statements in 2006 and 2007 – the housing crash occurred in 2008 – that he hoped for the crash “because then people like me would go in and buy” and profit.
“We don’t know if Trump eventually made money by taking advantage of the crash because he refuses to release his tax returns, something all major presidential candidates have done for decades,” Ryan said.
Tuesday’s conference call is part of a campaign strategy by Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, to focus on controversial statements made by Trump as the two head for an Election Day showdown in a little more than five months.
Ryan, of Howland, D-13th, was among the first members of Congress to endorse Clinton for president, and has campaigned on her behalf.